What began as playful banter between friends has evolved into goofy skits acted out by members of the resurgent UTSA women's basketball team.

Redshirt freshman forward Mannasha Bell said it's an activity that dates back at least a couple of weeks.

“Ever since we started, we've been winning,” Bell said. “So we've been doing it ever since.”

With UTSA set to host the Western Athletic Conference-leading Seattle Redhawks tonight, Bell said the team might need to concoct some sort of theatrical presentation to lighten the mood at today's shootaround.

In an interview earlier this week, the precocious Bell traced the start of the skits to her conversations with senior guard Jermini Malone.

Bell said the two would sit around on the day before a game talking about the mascot for the opposing team.

“Whatever the mascot is, we'd come up with a word to match the mascot,” Bell said.

Silly attempts at alliteration soon begat quirky mini-dramas with the whole team involved.

Players have acted out the skits at team shoot-arounds, in empty gymnasiums, with no one else around.

For instance, with the UTSA women preparing to start their game-day drill on the floor at Texas State's Strahan Coliseum last week, one player pretended to be a Bobcat crawling up to the team huddle.

According to the storyline, the Texas State mascot didn't make it out of the arena alive.

“We blew up their Bobcat,” said Bell, grinning. “It was really funny.”

While it's not likely the UTSA thespians will command standing ovations on Broadway anytime soon, it seems that they have found a groove in the WAC.

The Roadrunners (10-8, 4-3 WAC) will take the floor tonight against the Redhawks (10-6, 7-0) having won three in a row — all on the road.

Knocked out for most of last season with a knee injury, Bell has emerged as a key player in UTSA's rise in the standings. In the past two games, the redshirt freshman from Fort Smith, Ark., has averaged 8.5 points and eight rebounds in 24.5 minutes.

After starting and playing 31 minutes in the team's 10-point victory over Texas State, Bell may even draw the defensive assignment tonight against Seattle standout Kacie Sowell.

“She's so much more confident now,” Rippetoe-Blair said. “After hurting your leg like that, you're a little hesitant. She's not now. She's back. (She's) comfortable. You even see her diving on the floor.”

As for the future of the fledgling Bell-Malone productions? Rippetoe-Blair rolled her eyes only slightly.